Snow, Moon and Flowers
by Marishaten
Summary: The assassin who fell in love with the princess. Pre-canon.
1. Moonstruck

The Dog Admiral leaped over the high stone wall enclosing the Gekkouju.

This was not his shining moment; he was not at his honorable best – quite the contrary.

But orders had come from the top and his was not to question why.

"That princess is going to cause us great sorrow," the seer had divined.

The king had ordered him to find and kill her.

'_And I'd have killed her sooner if the sly old fox hadn't been so devious,'_ he thought darkly as he trampled underfoot the emerald carpet of summer grass, hardly taking in their fragrance although his nose was quite exceptional.

He had searched high and low for her over several months, but the daimyo would hide his daughter in one secret location after another.

Rumour had it, that a voice from the clouds had warned him to keep his daughter away from the dogs.

The Admiral bared his fangs in the semblance of a toothy grin.

_Like that's gonna happen…_

Unsheathing the sword that was going to become Tessaiga and Tenseiga, he marched on, drawn towards the sound of niko that was coming from the centre of the garden.

_Just one strike and her head will roll_.

And yet, as he approached the gazebo washed by silver moonlight…

A whiff of roses, the rustle of silk over porcelain, lips redder than the blood that smeared his hands…

The Admiral stopped in his tracks. The niko went on playing.


	2. A Thousand and One Nights

_He knew those eyes would be the death of him..._

The niko had stopped playing. In his ears, the melody rippled sweetly for a moment, before melting into the shadow of the night. He felt as though he had heard it somewhere in the past.

Perhaps in another lifetime.

Now that silence reigned in the garden, the Admiral felt rather stupid, standing rooted to the ground among a flurry of petals, his sword inert in his hand. The lamps hanging from the branches of sakura swayed gently in the early summer breeze.

At the edge of his dimmed awareness, a sensation conveyed to him that the princess was asking something. Her large, doe-eyes were fixed upon him, flashing haughtily, spiked with anger. They filled his heart with a sudden death wish.

He wanted nothing more than to drown in the liquid depth of her gaze, never to swim back to the shore. The bizarrely sweet smell of defeat hung in the air.

Then a sudden gust of wind ruffled his hair. A three-legged crow flew past his head – an emissary of his king. The spell was broken; the Admiral was jolted out of his stupor.

"Have you come to kill me?" The princess was asking.

Her tone suggested that she had already asked the question a few times before.

Another question hovered around the corners of her mouth, not daring to break through the seal of etiquette. Yet it was there for the admiral to read, as plainly as if she had said it out loud.

'_Are you stupid or something?'_

The fame of her beauty had spread throughout the land. But few knew of her temper. To the Admiral, after his long experience with ice, the fire seemed provocatively tempting.

And yet he bristled at the unspoken insult. He could not understand what was happening to him.

"You!" he roared, jabbing his finger in her direction, "Sorceress! You cast a spell on me, didn't you?"

The princess frowned with displeasure.

"What a rude thing to say!" she replied warmly, "Looking at your clothes, I did not think of you as an idiot, but maybe you are just a stupid assassin after all."

A few moments – that was all he needed to regain his composure.

It was an art he had perfected over millennia. Give or take a few occasional failings.

He bared his razor-sharp fangs in a bone-chilling smile.

"You got _that_ right, Princess. Now offer your prayers to whichever God you mortals believe in."

In a flash he had covered the twenty paces separating them. A deft turn of hand and the sword was at her throat.

He looked at her eyes before moving for the kill. It had always been a habit of his – to look into the eyes of his preys, moments before he snuffed out their pathetic lives.

She regarded him coldly, almost condescendingly.

The Admiral hesitated; the sword gleamed softly under the sixteenth night's moon.

_He knew he was done for…the moment he looked into those eyes._


	3. A Dream of Summer

_In the dark,_

_Under the sixteenth night's moon,_

_Predator and prey –_

_Love and I_

_Face to face…_

Her neck was exposed, gleaming like soft marble. He reached out with his hands, only to draw back as his eyes fell on his blood-stained palms.

She was looking at him with interest, her eyes never leaving him for an instance.

"_Have you come to live or die?"_

The Admiral stared.

The seer had asked him the same question before setting him on this quest. How much did he care if he lived or died?

He was utterly indifferent. At that time.

The princess moved her hand. It made a tinkling sound, as though she was bound by chains.

_A captive?_

He let his eyes ask the question. The princess smiled.

"Takemaru of Setsuna."

If it was a name, it held no meaning for him.

"He had invaded our kingdom, but as luck would have it, he fell in love with me. So he took me in exchange for my land and my people. Oh, his intentions were honorable at first," she hastened to add in reply to the Admiral's raised eyebrow. "He took me to his head-priest in order to get married. But the priest warned him against it, said I was cursed…that I will bring great misfortune to my husband. So Takemaru decided to put me in chains instead…and keep me in this garden."

The Admiral snorted. _Affairs of the humans, what did he care?_

But the princess…

She spent her lonely years in this lifeless garden, exploited by a heartless man. Now that she had become an obstacle, an assassin had been sent to dispose of her.

_How pathetic…_

The sixteenth night's moon cast a melancholy glow.


	4. Lily-of-the-Valley

The human raised an arched eyebrow.

Her long lashes fluttered like butterflies' wings. She looked frail and elegant, like a lily-of-the-valley – a snowflake that might fall and melt under his hot sigh.

And yet, possessing an inner flint that was immune to domination and persecution alike.

_Almost like a goddess in mortal form._

"Kill me if you wish to die," the princess said teasingly, "for Takemaru will never let you rest until you are utterly destroyed. Should you wish to live, return to your land while there is time."

_Live or die…a curious dilemma._

_A mere mortal…never let him rest_?

Fangs bared slightly of their own accord. _That remains to be seen._

And yet, another of the mortal realm was tormenting his very existence. Strange, these frail creatures were – so arrogant and yet so short-lived – like a comet flying across the sky and leaving behind a fiery trail.

Unknown to the Admiral, the lilies-of-the-valley were swaying under the moon. White, pristine flowers and yet…poisonous if you put your mouth to them.

To kill her should have been an open and shut case and yet…

"I need time to think," the admiral declared, "till then I'm staying here."

As he headed towards a spring to clean the blood on his hands, he relished the look of surprise on her face.


	5. A Rose Called By

The moonlight wove a web of strange patterns, binding assassin and victim with one thread. The roses blinked innocently from their beds.

"Finish your job before you go, Number Two."

The princess called out imperiously. The Admiral drew his brows together.

"Number Two?"

The ruby lips curved upwards in a smile.

"You are the second assassin to have come after me."

"Who was the first?"

"That pervert Takemaru, of course."

The admiral growled.

"Next time, ask me before deciding my name."

The princess cocked her head to one side and watched him with interest, as though she had never met anyone like him. A mischievous smile played on her lips.

"Then I ask you, Number Two, what _is_ your name?"

To his surprise, the admiral gave her his real name.

He did not simply say "Inu no Taishou", like he usually did.

It was so unlike him to reveal even such a seemingly trivial part of him…much less to his intended victim…

A faint hammering had awakened in his heart. The sound was a surprise to him – he had forgotten that he even had a heart.

The princess repeated his name carefully, as if she was exploring it with her tongue.

When he heard it, the admiral shivered. Somewhere, a door was closing firmly. Soon, there would be no escape.

He would be trapped in his own moonlit garden…

_Forever._

And 'forever' was a scary word.

As he walked towards the spring, he forced himself to calm down.


	6. A Dark Tide

He was a rudderless ship, drifting in the night, far, far away from home…

How did he end up here, in the enchanted garden, under the moon of sixteen nights?

"_What the hell was I thinking?" _he shouted voicelessly.

Or maybe he wasn't thinking at all?

The splash of cold water hit his naked skin, washing away the blood that clung to it. It was like a slap of reality, dispelling his illusions.

"I have a job to finish and then I'll return..."

_Return…where? My home is far away…_

Behind him, he heard sound of moving chains.

_Mattaku! Won't she leave me alone for a single moment?_

With his hand on the hilt of his sword, the Admiral slowly turned around. The princess was watching him with intense interest.

He suddenly became very conscious of the fact that his upper body was completely naked.

When she spoke, her voice showed no hint of trepidation.

"The guards outside the garden – you have killed them all, haven't you?"

For an assassin, it was the obvious thing to do. And yet the Admiral felt ashamed, as though he was being accused of doing something wrong. He averted his eyes.

"Would you mind not looking at me when I bathe?" he grumbled.

"Oh, please don't mind _me_. You carry on with whatever you are doing."

_Saucy wench! How dare she speak to me in that impudent tone?_

The Admiral marched angrily up to the princess, who was sitting on a stone wedge, and stood towering above her. Even though her eyes flashed at his menacing gesture, she did not move from her sitting position.

Even if she stood up she would not be any taller than him.


	7. Chains That Bind

The princess brushed away a stray leaf that had fallen upon her brow. The tinkling of jade followed the movement of her hand.

The Admiral drew his brows together. His eyesight was quite good and the moon was shining in mid-heaven and yet…

"How come I don't see your chains, only hear them?"

She smiled enigmatically.

"These chains? They are made of the elements, of light and air, moonbeams and starlight woven together. They are invisible…light as a breath, so I can move around freely. But they contain a spell deeper than the foundations of the earth."

The Admiral stared.

_Who could have cast a spell like that?_

It was as if the princess could read his mind.

"The high-priest who warned Takemaru against marrying me forged the chains on his request."

_Takemaru…hmm…_

The Admiral looked at the princess thoughtfully. Proud yet lonely, caged like an animal…

"Does…do you have any visitors?"

"You mean Takemaru?"

She had hit far too well the bull's eye. The Admiral blushed slightly. He hadn't meant to be so forthright.

"He comes sometimes and plays the lute to me. Then he tells me to always be with him, not to leave him until his death."

The Admiral did not really know what kind of expression he was making. His heart had started pounding again. But the princess was extremely quiet, and had an almost serene look upon her face.

Strange. It should have been the exact opposite. _He_ should have been the one to just laugh coldly, and say _"Well, looks like you won't last that long after all."_ But why couldn't those words come out?

And what was worse, the princess did not for a moment turn her eyes away from his face, so she saw his agitation seep out of those amber eyes. But if she were to turn her face away, something more dangerous might have been revealed to him.

"…Does he move your heart?"

The Admiral noted with chagrin that his voice was slightly hoarse.

"His words don't…his lute does at times."

_So Takemaru didn't win her affection? That's even worse…_

_He is using her like a doll and she endures it with a smile._

The Admiral sat upon the stone wedge beside her. The princess did not speak, but she did not turn her face away either. Her cheek was shining alluringly in the moonlight, translucent like alabaster. Every movement and expression of her was drawing him in. His fingertips twitched.

"Forgive my rudeness, but can I touch you?"

He felt pathetic even as he said it.

But the princess did not slap him, as he had expected.

Instead, the mischievous twinkle was back in her eyes.

"Why not?"

Trying with all his might to keep his hand from trembling, the Admiral reached out to touch her cheek.

The skin was soft and warm.

Feeling numb from the touch, he let go and backed off.


	8. A Phantom Menace

It was that time of the night. The shougun unrolled a scroll.

"Akio?"

"Present."

"Hitoshi?"

"Present."

It was a daily routine like the rising and setting of the sun. The shougun went on calling the names one after another.

"Hisao?"

"Present."

"Ichirou?"

_Silence…_

The shougun drew his brows together. _Why was Ichirou absent from his post?_

He would have to investigate it later. Shaking his head, he carried on with his list.

"Katsuo?"

"Present."

"Kenta?"

_Silence…_

The shougun became suspicious. He jumped to a name towards the bottom of the list, a cold premonition gripping his heart.

"Takeshi?"

_Silence…_

"Yuki?"

_Silence…_

The guards of the Gekkouju Garden were absent en masse…

What could have happened?

The shougun rolled up the scroll and stood up from his chair.

"Move the guards immediately! Even the ones who have their day off – grab them by the neck and bring them here. Arm yourselves and prepare for battle! This is an emergency. Someone has entered the Gekkouju garden."

The guards looked at each other in surprise.

_The Gekkouju Garden? But how could someone go in there without tripping the alarm?_

Something had flown over the castle a while earlier – a phantom shadow, the guards at the roof had reported.

_If that was true…_

A shapeless cloud obscured the moon, sending a cold shiver down the spines of the guards. In the faint darkness, they huddled together like sheep.

Waiting for the wolf to wreak his havoc…


	9. The Painted Butterfly

The princess waited patiently to hear the Admiral's verdict. She had been taught that patience was a virtue in a woman. It was quite early in life that she had learnt what the roles of men and women were comprised of.

For example, she wasn't allowed to play Go.

It was a man's game, they said.

But the princess couldn't help observing…

Politics was like a game of Go – a male bastion where women were of use only as game pieces.

They were either beautiful spies, employed to break the enemy from inside; or dutiful princesses, to be sacrificed for the good of the nation.

Within the Inner Palace, fragrant with incense and sandal, amid flowers and folding fans lived the daimyo's painted butterflies…who found their worth only by being released at the right hour.

Her father had fled to the InnerPalace when news had come of Takemaru's invasion. Such disturbances were too much for his sensitive nature, he had said.

She agreed to visit the invader instead – to negotiate a truce, and the terms of surrender.

But her father had a different agenda hidden in a corner of his mind – if she could capture the invader's fancy with her fine looks and sharp wit, well, then he didn't mind if Takemaru made her his comfort woman.

In fact, that would be the best thing to happen to him, the daimyo thought in secret.

He had cause to rejoice. Things had gone according to his plan. But by a sudden quirk of fate, instead of sharing her bed, Takemaru ended up being her captor.

She had enough reasons to hate men.

She had come to expect nothing of them.

And then the Admiral had walked into the garden.

A derisive smile playing around her lips, the princess waited patiently for her sentence.

In a clear voice the Admiral declared.

"I've made my decision."

The princess waited.

"I choose to free you, princess."


	10. Old Sins Cast Long Shadows

"You bastard!"

The princess hissed like an angry serpent.

"That choice wasn't yours to make!"

_She thought the Admiral would be different..._

That he wouldn't treat her as though she were chattel.

"All her life I've been bundled away, passed from one hand to another…"

There was a time when her suitors would follow the train of her gown like feces trailing a gold fish. The suitors who gave her 'flower-messages' and poem riddles, but never tried to win her heart...

Then came Takemaru, who put her in this garden, ignoring her pleas for death.

_She thought the Admiral was different..._

The princess shook with anger, her eyes glittering like diamonds.

"I told you, didn't I? My freedom is the price for my people's happiness…my land is safe as long as I remain in this garden. You don't care whether they live or die, do you? I'm not so pathetic as to be saved by the likes of you!"

The Admiral looked surprised.

"But you don't understand…"

"No, _you_ don't understand! Don't you have anything to protect?"

_"The hell I do!"_

The admiral thundered as he pulled her towards him, along with her chains. His face was merely inches away from her.

"There are plenty of things I want to protect! My wife and son, the dog-demon clan, my comrades and subordinates. My country and my king. The sound of rain on bamboo leaves, the floating clouds over the autumn moon, the pink-white sakura blossoms, the smell of the sky before snowfall and the great castle in the sky – they're all precious to me. Why did you think I turned into this low-life assassin? Why do I work, exhausting myself to the point where I can simply vanish like ether? It is to protect everything that I hold dear in this world."

The princess opened her dark eyes very wide. To be honest, she had never seen a man who could be that imposing. When she spoke her voice was oddly constricted.

"Th-then why…"

"Don't think that I don't understand what it feels like to sacrifice yourself for the sake of those you love. And yet, I choose to free you. A demented pervert trapped you in this garden and you have no intention of freeing yourself."

The princess blinked.

"You've been imprisoned here, in a world with nothing except the moonlit flowers! Even then you're thinking about your people. You think it'll be all right if you just keep on enduring, but you're wrong."

Even if she was belittled, she would never belittle herself – it was the pride of a true royal, even in her present state of dishonor.

And where were her subjects who had failed to protect her?

"Nobody can found their happiness on the sacrifice of others. While you've done your duty as a princess your people should've done theirs in fighting for your honor. It's their karma that's going to bring retribution upon them – not your freedom from bondage. It's time a lesson is taught to those shameless humans!"

Among the moonflowers, the wind was changing its direction...


End file.
